Photo: Luc Rempel

Salmon Arm city council decided to defer a decision on a new parade route for the Salmon Arm Fair Parade

City council found a proposed route change for the Salmon Arm Fair Parade was too big of a decision to be made without further consideration.

A request from the Shuswap Agricultural Association to have the city approve the new route will have to wait as council opted to defer the decision.

At its May 12 meeting, council received a letter from Brittny Syme, Salmon Arm Fair Parade coordinator, requesting approval of a route change for the annual parade.

In her letter, Syme said the change of route is being requested in order to avoid crossing the Trans-Canada Highway, “ensuring volunteer, participant and spectator safety from start to finish.”

The new route would see the parade begin on 10 Avenue SW in front of the Westgate Market, then move east to the intersection of 10 Avenue and Shuswap Street before turning left onto Shuswap Street.

The parade will continue in that direction until it reaches Fifth Avenue SW and turn left onto Fifth Ave before finishing with another left turn onto Third Street SW.

Coun. Sylvia Lindgren wondered whether Downtown Salmon Arm had been consulted about the proposed route changes.

“I don't know what the impact is of having a big crowd of people come downtown on a Saturday morning,” she said.

“That probably deposits a whole lot of people spending bits of money here, there and everywhere, and if we draw them all the way to a different route, that might mean those same people don't end up downtown buying breakfast or shopping or getting their groceries.”

Mayor Alan Harrison said he would bring up the parade route at the next Downtown Salmon Arm meeting in order to get their input on the matter.

Coun. Kevin Flynn proposed referring the matter to city staff which would allow the engineering department to make the decision themselves as to whether they want to sign off on the new route.

However, Coun. Tim Lavery said he wanted the matter to come back to council.

“I would like to hear back from Downtown Salmon Arm,” he said. “I want to support the Salmon Arm Fair Parade and the new team that they have there but… I think this is a big thing in terms of tradition in Salmon Arm.”

Salmon Arm council agreed to defer a decision on the new parade route until engineering staff could come back with their analysis of the new route, and in order to hear back from Downtown Salmon Arm about the possible economic impact.

Council is expected to discuss the parade route changes at the next Salmon Arm council meeting on May 26.